City comparison
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY is about 80 miles (125 km) from Owensboro, KY in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY to Owensboro, KY takes about 10 min, covering roughly 80 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) has a population of 629,176, vs 60,019 in Owensboro — about 10.5× larger by population. By land area, Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) covers about 265 sq mi vs 21 sq mi for Owensboro.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) | Owensboro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,014/mo | $888/mo | 14.2% higher in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) |
| Median home value | $204,800 | $151,800 | 34.9% higher in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) |
| Median household income | $63,114 | $51,982 | 21.4% higher in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) |
| Groceries index | 96.0 | 96.5 | ≈ equal (Owensboro slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 79.2 | 76.9 | 2.9% higher in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 97.2 | ≈ equal (Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 97.1 | 96.7 | ≈ equal (Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), you'd need $89,504 in Owensboro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Owensboro, KY is about 10.5% cheaper overall than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 37% higher in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) than in Owensboro. If you earn $80,000 in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), you'd need about $71,604 in Owensboro to keep the same standard of living.